Review: Disney's Vietnamese Coffee Churro Is A Delicious Way To Celebrate Lunar New Year

When it comes to Disneyland's best desserts, there are two that immediately come to mind: The pineapple Dole Whip and the churro. Both are delectably luscious and always have long lines full of people yearning for a bite. While these two classics are available 365 days a year, thanks to an influx of annual food events like Disneyland's Festival of Holidays and the Food & Wine Festival, Disney has upped its dessert game by adding unusual twists to their sweet treats. This year's Lunar New Year Festival is no different. 

Dedicated to celebrating the arrival of spring and the new year in several Asian communities, the Lunar New Year at Disney California Adventure serves up plenty of tasty Asian dishes while treating its fans to dragon dances and characters dressed in their Lunar New Year best. Those activities are a blast, but if you're an adventurous foodie, you can't miss the Marketplace. With 74 different Asian dishes to choose from, you'll definitely find something you'll love. Since I love Disney's churros, though, I wanted to try the special twists the chefs created for this year's event. 

In the past, the chefs have added green tea and candied ginger to their Lunar New Year churros. This year, the pastry chefs went in a different direction and created the Vietnamese Coffee Churro and the Toasted Sesame and Red Bean Churro. Since I love Vietnamese coffee, I ran to the churro stand near Goofy's Sky School and grabbed a plate — and I couldn't be happier that I did. 

If you've never tasted a Vietnamese iced coffee, it's nothing like your standard American iced coffee. The Vietnamese version takes strong, dark coffee and layers it with ice and sweetened condensed milk. Made up of only a few ingredients, it's a refreshing twist on the classic iced coffee and the perfect treat on a sweltering day. I'm a huge fan of this drink, and if I ever see it on a menu, I order it. And I'm not alone, either. David Nguyen, one of the ambassadors at Disney California Adventure and the brain behind this very special churro, explains that he, too, "is a huge coffee lover" and his favorite coffee just happens to be the Vietnamese iced coffee. 

Nguyen figured he could add the flavors of sweetened, condensed milk and coffee to the classic cinnamon sugar churro. "My goodness, that is delicious," he says. "And not only that," Nguyen continues with a laugh, "I think it's addictive." I concur. This churro is utterly delightful. 

While you get that perfect crunch and cinnamon zing of the classic Disney churro, there's a wonderful coffee flavor on the finish that comes from the coffee sugar in which the churro has been rolled. When coupled with the sweet, coffee-infused icing that's drizzled over the top, I really feel like I'm eating a Vietnamese coffee. It was so good in fact, I'm not ashamed to admit that I went back for seconds.

Unlike the classic Disney churro, which is available year round, this special Vietnamese version is only available until February 16th during the Lunar New Year Festival. Just like the Marketplaces, this unique treat can also only be found inside Disney California Adventure, but you won't find it at any of the adorable kiosks that line Buena Vista Street. This particular churro can only be found at the churro stand near Goofy's Sky School and at Señor Buzz Churros on the Pixar Pier. If you want to make sure you get a taste, go early, as the closer you get to the World of Color showtime, the longer the lines will be. Although this sweet treat is slightly more expensive than the classic churro, it's still only $7.50, but that coffee sugar and icing are well worth the extra couple of bucks.

The only downside to this churro is that it's not part of the wonderful Sip and Savor Pass that Disney sells for each of these festivals. But just because the churro isn't part of the $48 pass, doesn't mean you should skip it. This cool, scannable pass will get you six select bites or non-alcoholic drinks from various locations throughout the Lunar New Year Marketplaces and the park. Bites that are just as tasty and well worth experiencing. Bites that would actually be a great lead-up to what may very well be my favorite Disney churro so far.